Page 2 of Beach Bats

“That is not the ringing endorsement you think it is,” Vin said.

Hmm, maybe Vin was right. Nix did get him into trouble a lot. “I need the apple to get through pregame.”

“You’ll say the same during first intermission and second and if we go into overtime,” Vin replied.

“What if I promise to score so many goals that we win during regulation time and don’t have to go into overtime? Could I have three apples then?” That sounded like a great idea! He was so smart.

“How’d you go from this apple that you already bit into to two more?” Vin asked.

“I didn’t, Daddy. You did. You said I could have one between periods,” Aries reminded him. “That’s four apples. The one now, one before the game, one before second period, and one before the final. That’s four!”

Vin squinted at him. “I did not say any of that.”

Swinging his arms back and forth, Aries could feel Vin giving in to him. Truthfully, Vin was a bit of a pushover. He acted all tough and scary and stern, yet Aries knew the truth. His Daddy also liked to spoil him. He just didn’t want Aries to get sick from eating too many apples. And that hadn’t even happened since they started dating. “I think you did.”

“This apple and only this apple,” Vin said, handing over Aries’s treat.

Aries grabbed his fruit and immediately took a second bite. Not that he thought Vin would change his mind or anything. It was just better to be safe than sorry. He’d figure out how to get more apples once he was done with this one. There had to be a way.

“I’m going into the locker room and threatening everyone in there to not give you anymore. And if I see one teammate try to sneak you anything, I will murder them,” Vin warned.

“Okay.” Aries skipped beside Vin as they headed toward the locker room. He wasn’t too worried. His teammates and friends always found a way to sneak him apples. It was like a whole thing now. Tradition. And kind of part of the ritual of winning games.

The Vegas Vikings were the best hockey team in the PAHL. And they were going to prove it when they beat the Dallas Hawks. No way was Aries going to let Dallas win two years in a row.

He might just be a rookie but Aries knew that this was his team’s year. He wasn’t being overconfident. Aries knew in his heart that they were going to win. It just felt right.

“Stop being so happy,” Vin grumbled.

Aries giggled. “Daddy! We are so totally going to win and then we’re going to Hawaii!”

“Baby.” Vin turned before pushing open the locker room door. “You need to take this game serious. One game. We win tonight and it’s all over. We are the Iron Cup champions.”

Patting his Daddy’s chest with the hand not covered with apple juices, Aries smiled at him. “We are going to win. I know it.”

“I love that you believe that,” Vin said. Leaning down, he pecked a kiss to Aries’s lips.

“I love you,” Aries told him.

“I love you too. Now I have to clean out the locker room,” Vin declared. He smashed his palm against the locker room door, slamming it open.

Aries munched the rest of his apple as Vin growled at their teammates.

“No. More. Apples,” Vin bellowed.

Every occupant of the locker room turned toward the enraged vampire.

Aries slipped past Vin, bouncing over to his goalie to take a seat next to Zany. “Hey!” Aries greeted.

Zany grinned at him. “Who gave you the apple this time?”

“Shawn.” Aries finished off his little treat. Sad, he looked down at the core. It was all gone already? How had that happened? He was still so hungry!

“Vin is going to kill everyone,” Zany said.

“Nah,” Aries drawled. “He just likes to threaten them.”

Zany snorted. “Sure.”